Aerating liquors.



' Patented Feb. 8, i910.

INVENTOR WITNESSES Aeos-rmo Tosca Hi5 ATTO ZIEY.

lUNl .ilr

ATENT @FFTCE.

AERATING LIQU'ORS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AeosTINo Tosoo, sub ject of the King of Italy, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aerating Liquors, of which the the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for preserving wines and other alcoholic liquors.

Where a liquor like wine, and especially clarets, is drawn glass. by glass from a barrel, the contents of the barrel deteriorate as the amount of liquor in the barrel grows less and the air space above the liquor increases, unless some means are employed to purify or treat the air admitted to the barrel to take the place of the displaced liquid.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, cheap, practical device which may be applied to any barrel, keg, or. other container, for the purpose of preserving the original quality of the liquor therein, irrespective of the amount of liquor in the container.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompany ing drawings, in, which Figure- 1V is a view in vertical section of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the invention as applied.

My invention comprehends essentially a receptacle A preferably made, of glass, or some other non-corrosive substance, and of suitable size and shape and adapted to contain a body of alcohol.

Fitting in within the receptacle A is a perforated plate or partition 2 suitably supported in the receptacle, as on the legs 3, which latter form a cage for the float valve 4. This valve 4 is adapted when the receptacle is filled, or partially filled, with a suitable disinfecting liquid, like alcohol, to a level above the partition 2, to lift the valve 4 and close an opening 5 centrally arranged of the partition plate 2, for the purpose shortly to be described. The top of this partition plate 2 and surrounding the port opening 5 carries an upwardly projecting flange 6, and a tube 7 preferably of glass has its lower enlarged, end seating snug within the flange and over the port 5. If

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 17, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Serial No. 513,321.

I desired, the tube 7 may be expanded between its ends, as shown at 8, to form a deflector. The upper end of the tube 7 is preferably reduced and extends above the top edge of the receptacle A and enters a funnel-shaped projection 9 on the cover or cap 10 for the receptacle. This cover 10 is hermetically sealed over the receptacle, and the joint around the end of the tube 7 and funnel 9 is also hermetically sealed; the receptacle being filled through the funnel 9 and tube 7.

After the receptacle is filled with a suitable liquid, as pure alcohol, a suitable straining material 11, such as absorbent cotton, is placed in the funnel 9 and over the tube 7, and over the strainer is placed a perforated cap 11 Suitably attached to the cover is a pipe 12 which opens into the space in the receptacle A and between the wall of the latter and the tube 7 and the open end of the pipe 12 within the purifying apparatus may be suitably covered by a screen 13. This tube is suitably bent and carries a packing ring 14!: held against the shoulder or flange 15 on the tube; the portion of this tube below this packing ring being adapted for insertion into a stopper member 16, which latter fits tight in the bung of a barrel or keg. The tube is of sufficient length that when in position the receptacle A may rest on the barrel, as shown. The packing ring it forms a tight joint with the corresponding packing 17 in the top of the stop per or plug 16.

If desired, the space in the receptacle above the partition 2, and below or around the expanded part 8 of tube 7, may be filled with a filtering material, such as little glass beads 18, through which the air entering the receptacle through the tube to a point beneath the plate may pass upwardly, thus increasing the aerating or purifying effect.

In practice, the device is applied to a barrel, or other container, by suitably connecting and seating the parts in the manner above described, and as illustrated in Fig. 1. If there is no liquid in the receptacle A the valve 1 will drop down and uncover the port 5 in the partition plate 2. here it is desired to use the device, the receptacle A is filled or partially filled to a suitable depth above the partition plate 2 by admitting alcohol or like purifying medium into the receptacle A through the funnel 9 and the tube 7, after placing the absorbent or filtering medium 11 in the funnel and covering the funnel with the cap 11 As liquor is drawn from the barrel B through the usual tap or faucet, air will enter the barrel to take the place of the liquor thus with drawn; it being understood that the only way air can enter into the barrel is by passing in through the filtering medium 11 and down through the tube 7, through port 5, thence upwardly through the perforatlons in the partition 2 and beneath the filtering medium 18 and out around the expanded deflector 8 to the pipe 12 which leads into the barrel. This inrush of air, due to the turning on of the faucet or cook, in the barrel will temporarily force down the valve at in its cage formed by the legs 3, allowing the air to pass, but the moment the flow of liquor from the cask or barrel B ceases, the valve will again rise and close the port 5. Thus it is seen that all air which enters the cask or barrel is first strained through the straining medium 11, and thence is made to bubble through a considerable body of alcohol, thereby destroying all germs and carrying over into the tank a suflicient quantity of alcoholic vapors to maintain the liquor in the barrel or cask perfectly fresh.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 'ent is- 1. An apparatus for aerating liquors, said apparatus comprising a liquidcontaining receptacle having a foraminous partition supported above its bottom, a buoyant valve within the receptacle beneath said partition adapted to close in an upwardly direction, an air admission tube leading into the receptacle and supported on said partition, said partition having an air admission port connecting with the space beneath the partition, said port adapted to be closed by the valve, means for filtering the air before its admission to said tube, and means for with drawing air from the upper part of the receptacle, said valve opening for the admission of additional air coordinately with the withdrawal of air from the upper portion of the receptacle.

2. An aerating apparatus comprising a liquid containing receptacle having a perforated partition supported therein above its bottom, a cage within the receptacle forming a support for the partition, said partition having an air admission opening, a buoyant valve below the partition and guided in its movement by the cage and adapted to close said port, an air admission tube extending through the upper part of the receptacle having its lower end proximate the partition, a closure for the upper end of the receptacle, said air admission pipe extending through the inclosure, and means connecting the upper portion of the receptacle with a liquid container whereby air is drawn from the upper portion of the container coordinately with the withdrawal of liquid from the container, said valve adapted to uncover the air admission port coordinately with the withdrawal of air from the upper part of the container to allow a fresh charge of air to enter said container.

3. An aerating apparatus comprising a liquid containing receptacle, a perforated partition therein and supported above the bottom, a cage forming a support for the partition, said partition having an upwardly extending flange and a centrally located air admission port, a float valve guided by the said cage and normally closing said port, an air admission tube having its lower end entering said projecting flange and seating upon the partition, the upper end of the receptacle being closed and said tube extending through said end, a filtering medium in the receptacle and supported by the partition and means connecting the upper end of the receptacle with a liquid container whereby air is drawn from the receptacle coordinately with the withdrawal of liquid from the container, said valve adapted to open for the admission of a fresh charge of air into the receptacle substantially simultaneously with the withdrawal of air from the upper part of the receptacle.

4. In an aerating apparatus, the combinationof a receptacle adapted to contain liquid, a perforated plate supported in the receptacle above the bottom thereof, a mass of filtering material supported above said plate, an air admission pipe extending through the upper portion of the receptacle and supported upon the plate, said plate having an air port for conducting the air into 1 the body of liquid beneath the plate, a buoyant valve adapted to close said port and to automatically uncover the port to admit the fresh charge of air, a filtering medium in which the inlet end of the pipe is inclosed, 11a and means for withdrawing air from the upper portion of the container, said air first entering the liquid beneath the plate and then bubbling up through the supported filtering medium, and collecting in the upper portion of the receptacle.

5. A11 aerating apparatus consisting of a hollow plug, an air tube fitting said plug,

a liquid-containing receptacle, a cover for said receptacle with which said air pipe connects, said air pipe opening into the receptacle, said receptacle having a perforated partition plate, a tube above the plate and extending out through the cover, said tube being opened at one end and discharging into the receptacle beneath the plate, means by which air can be admitted into the receptacle only through said tube, and discharged therefrom only through said air pipe, a float. valve in the receptacle beneath the plate and normally closing over the mouth of said my hand in the presence of two subscribing tube, said tube having an expanded portion witnesses. between its ends to deflect the air outwardly T toward the sides of the receptacle, and a AGOSTDO T0860 5 granular filtering medium in the receptacle Witnesses:

and on top of the plate. GEO. F. CAVALLI,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set E. AVENALI. 

